Government officials were branded 'incompetent' pen-pushers for adding insult to injury for the tragic victims of foot and mouth epidemic.

Today MPs, businessmen and farmers in the region rounded on civil servants at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food claiming bungling officials are making the crisis worse.

In Northumberland, it has been revealed infected animals went days without slaughter while frustrated vets sat around doing nothing - waiting for a call from MAFF.

In Newcastle, alarmed businessmen and an MP have demanded a Government inquiry over damaging rumours linking Chinese food to foot and mouth, which could devastate the city's China Town district.

And widespread anger still remained over exclusive Chronicle revelations last night that farmer Bobby Waugh, whose farm is at the centre of the outbreak, has yet to be quizzed by any MAFF official.

Today Marian Hope, of Blackaburn Farm in Wark, Northumberland, who yesterday watched her 180-strong flock of sheep finally slaughtered four days after they fell ill, said: "It is absolutely disgusting.

"It's not the vets, it's not the Army, it's the civil servants, they are so incompetent. The whole thing stinks and it makes this whole situation worse.

"My husband David first noticed one of the flock ill on Saturday morning so we called MAFF, who told us they couldn't get a vet out that day but they would on Sunday.

"On Sunday we got no call and no vet so at 5pm I got fed up and called again. We finally got a vet at 12.45pm on Monday and do you know what the vet sad to us when she got here? That she'd been sat around all morning waiting for something to do."

So frustrated was the vet with MAFF the Hopes claim she refused to call in one of its slaughter crews saying if she did 'it would be days before one got here'.

Instead the vet called in her own crew who worked tirelessly to slaughter the infected sheep by 6pm last night.

Mrs Hope, 30, mum of 16-month-old Thomas, said: "Our livelihood is gone, 180 sheep just like that. It was a case of 'okay we've got it, that can't be helped' but the response from MAFF was shocking.

"For three days those sheep were breathing out the disease, one morning there was a deer in our field and now there are concerns for the wildlife in nearby Kielder."

Peter Atkinson, Conservative MP for Hexham, said: "We are playing second fiddle to Cumbria now and if we're not careful we'll end up in the same position.

"We have had infected animals breathing out the infection for days and yet nothing is being done.

"Anyone who knows Wark will know there is a large forest there populated with deer, who are susceptible to foot and mouth. It would disastrous if the disease spread into the forest."

But it is not just the rural parts of the region now being affected after Newcastle's Stowell Street was rocked by reports in the national press linking the disease to a restaurant in the North East.

Officials said they believed contaminated meat, possibly imported illegally for Chinese restaurants, is to blame for the epidemic.

With an ongoing inquiry into the emergence of the virus in Northumberland, officials were said to be convinced they are trailing a meat smuggling operation.

A container of illegal meat labelled for a Chinese restaurant was reportedly found in household goods after confirmation of the case in Heddon-on-the-Wall.

But speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Agriculture Minister Nick Brown failed to clarify rumours as expected, leaving Newcastle's China Town devastated.

Last night Jim Cousins, MP for Newcastle Central, and the North East Chinese Association, called on MAFF to put an end to the speculation which could put restaurants out of business.

Barry Yu, spokesman for the North East Chinese Association, said: "I can categorically say that none of the restaurants on Stowell Street are part of this.

"We have no reason to use imported meat because China Town has been a part of Newcastle for 20 years and we have great suppliers in the region who we know and trust.

"I think the Government is using Chinese restaurants as a scapegoat, it needs someone to blame and this is just another red herring to take the pressure off.

"We need Nick Brown and MAFF to clarify what is going on as

quickly as possible because we do not want to lose the confidence of customers. There is no reason for anyone here to have anything to do with imported meat."

Mr Cousins said: "I am extremely concerned about this because it has the potential to be damaging to restaurants which are very much a part of the city's economic life

"Newcastle's economic base is its leisure and catering industry and any rumour that could affect that must be quashed quickly.

"I will be asking for MAFF officials to go on the record and clarify reports which could have very serious consequences for the city."

Mr Cousins also expressed shock over the Chronicle's revelations yesterday that Bobby Waugh, at Burnside Farm, Heddon, Northumberland, the suspected source of the infection, had yet to be interviewed by any official of MAFF or Northumberland County Council.

He said: "Well I have to say I am astonished if this is the case. It does seem extraordinary."